Christopher Nolan Hand-Cuts 'The Odyssey' on 70mm Film at FotoKem

Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' is the first feature shot entirely on IMAX 70mm film, with each continuous take limited to 2.5 minutes due to camera capacity. At FotoKem in Burbank, California—the world's only lab producing 70mm prints—Nolan demonstrated to 60 Minutes how technicians physically splice film using an old-school splicing machine and glue. Every camera cut is done by hand. Color correction is also analog: using filters for primary and secondary colors on an analyzer, avoiding digitization to preserve infinite gradations. Nolan praises film's ability to approximate human vision, especially in color and grayscale. Final prints receive a chemical bath before shipping to just 41 theaters worldwide capable of 70mm projection, with scarce skilled projectionists. Most audiences will see a digital scan, but Nolan encourages analog screenings for the highest quality. IMAX developed a quieter camera, the IMAX Keighley (now on display at IMAX HQ in Los Angeles), enabling intimate scenes. Star Matt Damon notes the previous camera was too loud for such scenes.